Sunday Service
The Processional Hymn was from IOM 561 (DSB Pg 106) while the Praise and Worship session was led by sis. Tomike Awoniyi
Hon. Cornelius Akinrelere read the First Lesson while the Baba Ijo, Chief Rufus Adefulire read the Second Lesson.
Preacher, Mrs. Adejoke Adojutelegan appreciated the Vicar for invitation to speak to the fathers on this special day.
She said she would be speaking on points that would already be well-known to our fathers, hence she has come to reiterate.
She started by defining fruits as the seed-bearing part of flowering plants. For the sermon, she chose to use “seeds” and “fruits” interchangeably.
the preacher said a fruit-bearing tree is known by mere sight, further stating that fruits can be consequence of efforts or actions.
Even though it is fathers’ day, preacher said her message would be speaking to all members of the family. She went on to speak about different types of fruits; “a fruit can either be good or bad fruits, also, there are sweet, bitter or sour fruits”, she said.
Taking reference from Galatians 5:22 – end, Mrs Adojutelegan mentioned a few of the fruits that the bible stressed that Christians should bear such as perseverance, love, meekness etc.
“Which fruits are Christians bearing today?”, she asked. Further stressing that many families today are facing the repercussion of the fruits that have been sown and reproduced through generations. Hence what seeds are we sowing in our families? She asked. Also, many of the issues we face in society today are because of faulty homes that has resulted in untrained or poorly trained children, hence there is a lot of fathers must do to stop this trend.
She referred to the following Biblical examples:
* Elkanah and his children: Elkanah was always taking his wives and his children to Shiloh for prayers (1Samuel 1: 3,4 & 21). One of his wives was barren but it was in Shiloh that God answered the prayers of the barren wife, Hannah.
Hence where do Fathers or Husbands in this context take our wives?
What seeds are we sowing? as a one would reap what he or she sows.
* Joshua and his family: Joshua didn’t leave his family behind. Fathers should not leave serving the lord as the job of the wives. Hence fathers should make time for God with their families.
* Training the children: Fathers must ensure their children are trained. The training of the children should not be left to the wives, as it is a collective responsibility. The bible says train up a child in the way he should go, and when he grows up, he will never depart. Fathers must ensure discipline in their homes. However, this should not lead to being a tyrant. Hence fathers should discipline in love. Otherwise, this might lead to a lack of relationship between fathers & their children.
*Providing for the Family: Fathers must make provision for their families (I Timothy 5:6). Always try to meet the needs of your family.
*Prayers: Fathers must always lead their families in prayers (I Tim 2:8)
*Contentment: Fathers must be contented (I Tim 6:6)
* Trusting God: Fathers must lean on the true Vine (God) to bear good fruits (John 15:5)
She closed by asking rhetorically if the fathers are ready to bear good fruits, she then asked the congregation to join her in singing from I.O.M 398
The Bishop of the Diocese of Ile-Oluji, The Rt. Rev’d Abel Oluyemi Ajibodu was present to celebrate and prayer for our fathers.
